Rajya Sabha leader of Trinamool Congress (TMC) Derek O’Brien on Thursday said the INDIA alliance has two main detractors: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
“Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury speaks the language of the BJP. Three reasons for the alliance not working in Bengal – Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury,” the TMC leader told ANI.
Alleging that the West Bengal Congress chief is working at the behest of the BJP, the Trinamool Congress leader said the senior Congress leader is responsible for the alliance not working out between the two parties in West Bengal.
The remark came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee announced that her party will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections “alone” in the state.
“The voice is his, but the words are being dictated to him by the duo in Delhi. In the past two years, Adhir Chowdhury has spoken the language of the BJP. Not once has he raised the issue of Bengal being deprived of central funds,” PTI quoted the TMC leader as saying.
“He even endorses ED actions in Bengal when they are against Trinamool. He holds special press conferences to belittle Mamata Banerjee and barely speaks against BJP leaders,” O’Brien added.
Replying to a query whether the TMC remains part of the INDIA grouping, O’Brien said, “After the general elections, if the Congress does its job and defeats the BJP on a substantial number of seats, the Trinamool Congress will very much be a part of the front that believes and fights for the Constitution and plurality.”
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh has asserted that the opposition bloc INDIA “cannot be imagined without Mamata Banerjee”. TMC supremo’s comments on the seat sharing during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday forced the grand old party to adopt a conciliatory approach.
However, O’Brien stressed that the TMC has “turned the page”.
The TMC had been upset with Chowdhury’s repeated attacks on Banerjee. The Congress leader recently called the West Bengal chief minister an “opportunist” and said that his party would fight the polls alone.
The party has also been upset over seat-sharing talks with the Congress. The ruling party in West Bengal had offered two Lok Sabha seats to the Congress for the elections. Later, sources said the party could have accommodated another seat.
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Published: 25 Jan 2024, 03:29 PM IST